Dink case: Engin Dinç presented his defence

Engin Dinç, who is the current chief of the General Directorate of Security Intelligence Department and was the chief of Trabzon Security Directorate Intelligence Department at time of murder, presented his defence in the court.

Before presenting his defence, Engin Dinç stated that he feels sorry about the murder of Hrant Dink.

Dinç said that he started to work in Trabzon on July 15, 2004 and he was reassigned 7 months before the murder.

We followed Hayal

Saying that McDonald's was bombed a few months after he was assigned to the office, Dinç said that Hayal and friends were started to be followed right after the attack:

“Thinking that McDonald's bombing was a part of a larger plan, I immediately intervened in the situation. I ordered my personnel to follow the perpetrators. We identified Erhan Tuncel.”

Saying that Yasin Hayal was started to be follow after his release, Dinç said that Erhan Tuncel, during their meeting on February 15, 2006, said that Yasin Hayal had been planing an impactful action against Hrant Dink and he had the power to do it and they reported this information.

I called Istanbul

“After we received this information, I wrote it down, thinking Dink's position in society and his importance for Turkey as a minority. I also thought that if something happens to him, there would be a major international reaction. After this report was sent to Istanbul Intelligence Department, they had to include Dink to a protection program.”

“On February 17, 2006, it was said that we underestimated the McDonald's bombing. We wrote that report for drawing attention. Moreover, I also called Ahmet İlhan Güler for 4 times. Interestingly, it is said that I hadn't called him. On the phone, I told him that we have to protect Hrant Dink. On February 17, Istanbul looked at the records for learning who is Yasin Hayal. Since they looked him up before they received the notice, we assume that they did it after my phone call.”

“The murder happened 7 months after my reassignment. When I heard it on the news, I thought who might be the murderer. I called Ahmet İlhan Güler, but he didn't answer. I called the Istanbul Intelligence Department. I told that they should follow Yasin Hayal. They asked who might know something about this issue and I named Muhittin Zenit.”

Missing reports was in the file

Dinç said that, in 2015, they formed a group consisting of 10 people as General Directorate of Security Intelligence Department upon the order of the prosecution, they volunteered to clarify this murder and carried out investigation with an official assignment notice. “The prosecution states that we hid some documents. During the investigation, our team found a document that was presented to the court in 2007. It was also in the file. We gave it to the prosecution and then we were accused of hiding a document.”

If I were in charge, I would have launched an operation

Stating that they made 46 correspondences during his office in Trabzon, Dinç said: “We couldn't found a single document that was written after me. This shows the importance I attributed to the case. When I was in Trabzon, Yasin Hayal was just thinking about such an action. If I were in charge around the time of murder, I guess I would have launched an operation. This was the responsibility of the people that were assigned after me. I did everything I had to do during my time in Trabzon.”

Dinç also said that he must have been reassigned because of Gulenists.

After the launch break, questioning of Engin Dinç will continue.